Misery Loves Its Company
by xfirefly9x
Summary: Sam/Jack. Sam and Jack comfort each other when SG1 falls apart.


**Misery Loves Its Company**

Prompt: #010 Goodbye and #009 Clouds  
Notes: Written for 10hugs and 12 stories.

"Are you alright, sir?" Sam asked softly as her CO made his way over to her, a grim expression on his face and his brow furrowed gently. She knew he wasn't all right. Hell, _she_ wasn't all right! But talking might help both of them, and she was up for it if Jack was willing to give it a shot.

Unsure of how exactly to confront him about it any further than asking him how he was feeling, she gestured to the empty space on the couch beside her and watched him as he sat down, throwing her a small smile that spoke clearly of gratitude but held no joy. She didn't even try to return the favour, knowing instinctively that if she did, she would surely break.

Jack leaned back and sighed heavily before nodding slowly to answer her question. "Yeah, everything is just peachy," he told her dejectedly, with just the smallest hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Daniel's…wherever he is, maybe dead, maybe not. Teal'c is back in Chulak indefinitely. And us?" he paused briefly before continuing, "well, let's just say we're in for a lot of interviews for new SG-1'ers."

He shrugged at her concerned look and reached for the half empty bottle of beer he had left on the coffee table earlier. Taking a swig, he set it back down again and if it was possible, slumped even further into the couch. Sam sighed.

"Colonel…Jack…" she started, as her gut wrenched in sympathy – it would be hard for them both to adjust, but Jack especially. He had been through so much in his life and SG-1 had come to mean as much to him as family did for anyone else she knew. This – SG-1's end – could be more than he could bear.

Sam waited until he looked over before she went on. "It'll be okay," she insisted. "Daniel…I don't know what to say about him other than he always seems able to cheat death. He could be out there somewhere, alive and well. If he is, he'll come back to us. He always does." She paused to swallow back the lump in her throat and tried unsuccessfully to blink the tears from her eyes.

"And Teal'c…Teal'c will visit. We'll stay in contact." She felt a tear race down her cheek, followed by another. Her attempts to console her CO seemed to be taking a sharp turn. Next to her, Jack was studying her intensely, solemnly. "Jack?" she prompted, her voice a mere whisper.

He moved closer to her on the couch and reached out the thumb of one hand to dry her tears, catching the next tear as it followed the first two, and then the next one and the next one…until he gave up his futile attempts and began to trace her jaw line instead.

Their eyes met and Sam felt another wave of misery pour over her, threatening to rip her heart in two. Daniel and Teal'c were gone. She only had Jack. And while the latter wasn't a bad thing, it still hurt to think that she was losing two of her best friends…and SG-1. SG-1 without their archaeologist and Jaffa friend wouldn't be the same.

"C'mere," Jack finally said, bringing his arms around her and pulling her to him.

She melted into his embrace, tears flowing freely down her face and soaking through his shirt. Instinctively, her arms crept around his waist and she gripped the back ends of his shirt desperately. She needed this. Physical contact. Comfort. By the way Jack was holding her, she could tell he needed it, too.

"Don't you dare leave, too," she pleaded helplessly into his shirt. "There's been far too many goodbyes already." She slowly pulled back to look into Jack's eyes again, teary blue meeting melting chocolate brown.

"Never," Jack agreed, firmly. He moved his hands from around her waist and settled them on her shoulders, gripping her tightly but not enough to leave a mark. "I'm not going anywhere," he added resolutely.

Sam offered him a watery smile and brought her head forward so that their foreheads were touching. "And I'll never leave you," she replied. She let him digest her words for a few moments and then slowly, uncertainly, brushed her lips against his, softly at first and then with more desperation as he responded and all thoughts of clouded judgement fell away.

Lips moved urgently against each other and tongues battled furiously until the need for air was too strong and they broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Jack," Sam panted breathlessly. She opened her mouth to say something more, but a finger came up to cover her lips and she stopped.

"I know," Jack murmured. "Me too."

They fell silent and Sam repositioned herself so that she was leaning back on Jack, her head resting on his shoulder. Jack's arms encircled her once more, one hand playing absently with her hair.

After several minutes, Sam found her voice again and shifted slightly. "We'll be okay, won't we?" She turned to look at Jack, seeking reassurance.

He looked back at her before kissing her forehead and smiled sadly. "I hope so."


End file.
